My 25-minute ground chicken tacos are the perfect taco night alternative to beef! It takes just a few ingredients to make this light, crumbly chicken taco meat on the stovetop. Then it’s ready to pile high in tortillas, along with the tastiest taco toppings, for a family-friendly weeknight dinner idea!
Seasoned Ground Chicken Taco Meat
Tacos have become a weekly dinner at my house, so I love adding new recipes into the rotation for variety. I wanted a more classic version of my favorite soft chicken tacos, so I swapped chicken breasts for ground chicken to create a tender, crumbly taco meat that’s full of flavor. Seasoned with my custom chicken taco seasoning, these are my fully homemade take on a taco dinner kit. Using restaurant-style salsa is my quick shortcut to keep the lean ground chicken juicy while cooking on the stove. My kids absolutely love these, and we all have so much fun making tacos with our fave toppings!
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Prevent Dry Taco Meat!
Ground chicken is incredibly lean which means it is more prone to drying out. To keep it tender, stop cooking the moment the meat turns from pink to pale opaque. Add the salsa, and allow the meat to finish steam-cooking off the heat so it can absorb all that moisture.
Ground Chicken Tacos Recipe
Ingredients
For the Ground Chicken:
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ½ onion (chopped)
- 1 pound ground chicken (*)
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning (1 packet)
- ½ cup restaurant-style salsa
For the Tacos:
- 8 flour tortillas (**)
- 1½ cups shredded lettuce
- 1 cup shredded cheese (***)
Optional Toppings:
- chopped avocado
- chopped fresh cilantro
- chopped red onion
- salsa
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the onion and a sprinkle of salt. Cook for a few minutes until softened.½ tablespoon olive oil, ½ onion
- Add in the ground chicken and taco seasoning and cook until browned. Stir in the salsa.1 pound ground chicken, 3 tablespoons taco seasoning, ½ cup restaurant-style salsa
- Add a portion of chicken to each tortilla. Top with shredded lettuce and cheese. Add on any optional toppings like avocado, cilantro, red onion, and salsa.8 flour tortillas, 1½ cups shredded lettuce, 1 cup shredded cheese, chopped avocado, chopped fresh cilantro, chopped red onion, salsa
Notes
- Feel free to add diced bell peppers or drained canned black beans to the skillet with the onions for extra bulk and nutrition.
- Once you add the chicken to the pan, let it sit undisturbed for 2 minutes to develop nice browning.
- Optionally add a splash of chicken broth to the salsa for extra moisture.
- For creamy ground chicken, stir in 2 tbsp of sour cream or Greek yogurt at the end of cooking.
- Quickly char the tortillas over an open flame for 10 seconds, or warm them in a dry skillet set over medium to soften.
- Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice over top just before serving for a fresh zip.
Note: Water, salt, pepper, oil, and broth are not counted as ingredients on this site.
How to Make Ground Chicken for Tacos Step by Step
Prep: Gather the list of ingredients for this ground chicken taco meat recipe. Chop the onion. Shred the lettuce and cheese if using them for your tacos.
Sauté the Onions: Heat ½ tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Then add in ½ of a chopped onion and a sprinkle of salt. Cook for a few minutes, until softened.
Season the Chicken: Add in 1 pound of ground chicken and 3 tablespoons (1 packet) of taco seasoning, and cook until browned. I recommend letting the meat cook undisturbed for 2 minutes before breaking it up to get nice browned bits. Once browned, stir in ½ cup of restaurant-style salsa. Let it absorb into the meat off the heat to get extra tender crumbles.
Assemble the Tacos: Add a portion of taco meat to each of 8 flour tortillas. Top each chicken taco with 3 tablespoons of shredded lettuce (1½ cups total) and 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese (1 cup total). Add on any optional toppings like chopped avocado, chopped fresh cilantro, chopped red onion, or salsa just before serving.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
Store leftover ground chicken taco meat in an airtight container. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through. Assemble tacos with fresh tortillas and toppings.
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